The invention relates to a selectively lowerable vehicle roof having a dimensionally stable roof shell which is movable between a closed position and an open stowed position.
A vehicle roof of this kind is already known from the German Patent Document DOS 36 16 017, a front part of the roof being constructed as a panel which can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. This roof part can be pushed onto the rear roof part in order to open the roof, after which the roof part covers an inclined rear plate of the roof part lying below it. So that, nevertheless, a largely unobstructed view to the rear is possible from the passenger compartment of the vehicle, the large sized glass roof is integrated into the front part of the roof. When driving with the vehicle in this open position, the passenger compartment of the vehicle is shielded by the roof parts against air flowing in from the rear. In addition, the rear roof part comprises a roll bar, by which means it is ensured that the vehicle is sufficiently resistant to rolling over. In the known vehicle roof it is to be considered as disadvantageous that its front roof part, which can already be displaced rearwards in its entirety in order to open the roof, additionally has to be provided with a glass roof or the like, which constitutes a considerable additional outlay. Also, when the vehicle is parked with the roof closed, the disadvantages known with glass roofs, such as for example a relatively high degree of heating of the vehicle passenger compartment as a result of direct exposure to the sun, have to be tolerated.
The invention is based on the object of further developing a vehicle roof of the generic type to the effect that, despite the fact that it has an overall nontransparent design, the front end area of the vehicle roof can have a viewing opening when the roof is open which improves the rear view.
This object is achieved according to the invention by providing an arrangement wherein the front end face of the roof shell delimits an indentation of the roof shell in the central area of the roof which extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle when the roof is closed, the frame profile of the front windscreen frame being widened in the central area in a fashion which is complementary to said roof shell, and wherein the roof shell is substantially completely upright when the roof is open, as a result of which the indentation at the front end of the roof shell can be utilized as a viewing opening.
Preferably, the indentation has the shape of a segment of a circle, as a result of which the complementary widening of the frame profile has no corners which, due to the arrangement of the widened portion above the front seats, would otherwise increase the risk of the vehicle occupants sustaining head injuries.
A further improvement of the view from the driver's seat to the rear is achieved in that the end face of the roof shell is curved in a wave shape viewed over its entire length, that is to say corresponding to the width of the roof. A wave shape is selected for the purpose of shielding against draughts in such a way that, when the roof is open, a crest of a wave of the wave shape is located behind each of the two seats arranged next to one another. This embodiment has the additional advantage that a continuous seal profile can be provided opposite the corresponding face on the frame profile in order to seal the end face of the roof shell. As a result, a seal arrangement can be ensured which is particularly economical and at the same time reliable over a long period of time.
When the vehicle roof is designed in one piece, together with a high buckling resistance of the same in the longitudinal direction of the roof shell, the longitudinal area of the vehicle roof protruding upwards out of the receiving space can at the same time fulfil the function of a roll bar.
Despite its single-piece construction, the vehicle roof remains easy to handle if the roof shell is attached to the body of the vehicle by means of a connecting rod arrangement. In addition the completely upright position of the vehicle roof can be reproduced particularly exactly by means of a mechanical positive movement.
For the detachable connection of the roof shell to the frame profile, two locks are provided, as is customary in hard tops, which are each arranged to the side of the central area. By utilizing the course of the connecting contour between the frame profile and the roof shell, a central actuation element can advantageously be arranged between the frame profile and roof shell on the underside of the widened central area, by means of which actuation element both locks can be synchronously locked or unlocked.
An arrangement for transmitting the movement between locking means and actuation element is possible by means of a driving rod drive which is particularly mechanically simple.
Preferably, the actuation element consists of a finger-grip knob with an axis of rotation running transversely to the roof plane since such a knob can be countersunk without difficulty in the frame profile.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.